Compact travel zoom. The Olympus Stylus SH-2 is a compact long-zoom camera ideal for when you want something compact, light and with enough zoom power for your travels. It has a cool retro look, comes in all-black or black/silver and sports a 24x optical zoom lens in a compact body.

The 24x optical zoom lens has focal length of 4.5 – 108mm (35mm equivalent: 25 – 600mm), allowing you to capture large vistas as well as zoom in close to faraway subjects. An advanced 5-Axis Image Stabilization compensates for camera movements when using that long reach to help you capture sharp, blur-free results. FAST AF Technology provides blazingly fast focusing in any light or zoom, and the convenient Touch AF Shutter feature lets you instantly focus and shoot with a single touch of the 3.0-in. (460K-dot) LCD monitor.

To get even closer to your subject, a Super Macro Mode lets you focus as close as 3cm (1.2 in.). It’s all captured onto a 1/2.3″ 16 Megapixel BSI CMOS image sensor. You can take RAW, and advanced shooters can switch to full Manual mode. Get creative with Art Filters, PhotoStory options, and Panorama Modes.

If you love night photography, a new Live Composite technology extracts the brightest areas from a sequence of interval shots and combines them into one perfectly exposed image. Plus, customized Nightscape Modes capture night scenes, cityscapes, and star trails portraits and videos.

Movies are captured in Full HD video at 1080/60p. Use High-Speed Movie to stretch scenes in slow (120fps) or super-slow motion (240fps). Time Lapse Movie compresses up to five hours of footage into a short 20 second time-lapse video. Photo in Movie allows you to capture still images (JPEG or RAW) while recording video.

The Olympus SH-2 features built-in Wi-Fi for shooting, sharing, and uploading your photo and video. You need to download the free Olympus Image Share app on your smart device. You can also compose your image, control and operate the camera remotely, and geotag photos all from your smart device.

The Olympus Stylus SH-2 will appeal to those desiring a compact, light and powerful zoom camera for travel photography.

Olympus is positioning its new PEN E-PL7 as the smartphone user’s Interchangeable Lens Camera. Smartphone users take lots of pictures with their phone’s built-in camera and most of these end up on their social sites, shared with friends and families.

The tiny sensor in the smartphone cameras puts limitations in the image quality that can be obtained. That is when smartphone users eagerly look to upgrade to a dedicated camera with a larger sensor that is as easy to use as the one on their smartphone but that will give them much better image quality and more flexibility in exposure, lenses and accessories.

Enter the Olympus PEN E-PL7. It has a proven form factor, is drop dead gorgeous in its retro design and is filled with practical features prized by smartphone users.

Retro. The Olympus PEN E-P5 is the successor to the popular E-P3. It merges the cool retro design of the compact PEN F rangefinder camera with the high-end qualities of a [mirrorless] DSLR. New is the requisite Wi-Fi social sharing features (with easy set-up using QR code) we see cropping up in all new cameras. This allows Wireless Touch AF Shutter (view the image on your smartphone and use touch AF on smartphone to trigger the shutter on the camera) and Geo-tagging.

The distinctive styling of the PEN F rangefinder camera is carried over quite attractively. The use of high-quality textured metal for the top plate, shutter button, lens release button and arrow pad cover lends a premium look and feel to the camera. Olympus claims countless mock-up prototypes were used to finalize the design and placement of controls and dials. The PEN E-P5 will be available in an all-black, silver top and black, or white body.

A new feature for those who travel a lot is the Photo Story theme that allows you to include multiple photos (or views of the scene) in a single one. Other features include Time Lapse and Art Filters.Continue Reading »

OM-D. The Olympus OM-D E-M5 harks back to the 35mm film era when the Olympus OM-1 took the camera world by storm. Back then, the OM-1 was a revolutionary DSLR with everything squeezed into a compact and light body, yet unmistakenly professional in both quality and performance. In addition, the OM-1 came with a complete system of lenses and accessories.

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 wants to pick up that legendary mantle with a mirrorless DSLR, the film having been replaced by an image sensor, the optical viewfinder by a high-resolution electronic viewfinder and, since the mirror is now redundant, the latter is removed — hence the mirrorless label. In all other aspects, the OM-D E-M5 is a professional DSLR camera.

In addition, the OM-D E-M5 features a magnesium-alloy housing that is dust-proof and splash-proof for trouble-free shooting in all environments. This protection is extended to the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm F3.5-6.3 EZ lens, the bundled attachable flash unit, and the optional grip with power battery holder.

The E-M5 has the Micro Four Thirds (mFT) mount and therefore accepts all mFT lenses, as well as Four Thirds (FT) lenses, OM lenses, some Leica lenses and lenses from other brands with the appropriate adapter. A Dust Reduction System ensures any dust that may have entered the camera when changing lenses are removed from the sensor.

A direct HD Movie button gives instant access to Full 1080 HD movie 1920×1080 pixels with manual control over aperture and shutter speed. The popular in-camera Art Filters apply to both still shots and video.

The Olympus OM-D E-M5, in all its retro-look glory, is the first of the new OM-D mirrorless DSLR line and is sure to become a favorite of enthusiast photographers. It comes in Black or Silver, and is priced at about US $999 (CAD $999) body only.

Mini. The Olympus PEN Mini, also known as the E-PM1, is one of three PEN mirrorless DSLRs that Olympus announced together in June 2011. All three have the same image sensor and basically the same features: 12.3MP resolution (on a 17.3x13mm Live MOS Image Sensor), Sensor-shift image stabilization, TruePic™ VI Image Processor, high ISO of 12,800, fast AF, Full 1080i HD video with Dolby Digital sound recording, newly designed user interfaces and a variety of Art Filters and built-in creative features. The PEN Mini (E-PM1) stands last after the E-P3 and the PEN Lite (E-PL3); it more closely ressembles the E-PL3, minus the titltable LCD screen.

The E-PM1 has the Micro Four Thirds (mFT) mount and therefore accepts all mFT lenses, as well as Four Thirds (FT) lenses, OM lenses, some Leica lenses and lenses from other brands with the appropriate adapter. A Dust Reduction System ensures any dust that may have entered the camera when changing lenses are removed from the sensor.

A direct HD Movie button gives instant access to Full HD movie 1920×1080 pixels with Dolby stereo sound. The popular in-camera Art Filters apply to both still shots and video.

Exposure flexibility is available to more advanced photographers: Program AE (P), Aperture-Priority (A), Shutter-Priority (S) and full Manual (M) mode are all accessible directly on the Mode Dial. Advanced photographers will also appreciate available manual control over aperture and shutter speed while filming. The E-PM1 does not have a built-in pop-up flash but external flash FL-LM1 is included. This flash is compact, slides into the hotshoe. The E-PM1 also accepts a range of optional external flashes, with wireless flash control using the FL-36R and FL-50R speedlights. The use of off-camera flashes [as fill-in light] and synchronization in Super FP mode at a fast 1/125-1/4000 shutter speed allow the use of a large aperture in daylight [to obtain beautiful blurred backgrounds in portraits].

The E-PM1 includes a port for the detachable high resolution (1440k-dot) VF-2 live-finder which rotates up 90 degrees — useful when shooting subjects from challenging angles. The external accessory port also allows for connection with the SEMA-1 external microphone adapter for enhanced audio capture. For those into underwater photography, the new optional PT-EP05L underwater housing is waterproof to a depth of 45 meters (147 feet).

There are not too many differences between the three models as far as image quality is concerned or even features. The Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1 will be most attractive to those moving from a tiny sensor digicam and want DSLR-level image quality. It comes in Black, Red, Silver and White (colors are country-dependent), and is priced at about US $700 (CAD $700) with the 14-42mm kit lens.Continue Reading »

Retro. The Olympus PEN E-P3 distinguishes itself from other compact mirrorless DSLRs with its distinctive and beautiful retro look. Even though it follows in the footsteps of the E-P1 and E-P2, the E-P3 includes features from the E-PLx models and adds much welcomed improvements: the world’s fastest single-AF for a 3x optical zoom lens, a built-in flash, a touchscreen OLED, AF-assist light, FUll HD movie and an interchangeable handgrip.

The Olympus E-P3 is one of three PEN mirrorless DSLRs that Olympus announced together in June 2011. All three have the same image sensor and basically the same features: 12.3MP resolution (on a 17.3x13mm Live MOS Image Sensor), Sensor-shift image stabilization, TruePic™ VI Image Processor, high ISO of 12,800, fast AF, Full 1080i HD video with Dolby Digital sound recording, newly designed user interfaces and a variety of Art Filters and built-in creative features. The PEN E-P3 stands at the top of the PEN models, above the PEN Lite (E-PL3) and the PEN Mini (E-PM1).

The E-P3 has the Micro Four Thirds (mFT) mount and therefore accepts all mFT lenses, as well as Four Thirds (FT) lenses, OM lenses, some Leica lenses and lenses from other brands with the appropriate adapter. A Dust Reduction System ensures any dust that may have entered the camera when changing lenses are removed from the sensor.

A direct HD Movie button gives instant access to Full HD movie 1920×1080 pixels with Dolby stereo sound. The popular in-camera Art Filters apply to both still shots and video.

Exposure flexibility is available to more advanced photographers: Program AE (P), Aperture-Priority (A), Shutter-Priority (S) and full Manual (M) mode are all accessible directly on the Mode Dial. Advanced photographers will also appreciate available manual control over aperture and shutter speed while filming. Of the three PEN models, only the E-P3 has a built-in pop-up flash. Like the others, it also has a hotshoe for attachment of an optional external flash. Available external speedlites include the FL-36R and FL-50R with wireless flash control. The use of off-camera flashes [as fill-in light] and synchronization in Super FP mode at a fast 1/125-1/4000 shutter speed allow the use of a large aperture in daylight [e.g., to obtain beautifully blurred backgrounds while using fill-in flash when taking portraits].

The E-P3 includes a port for the detachable high resolution (1440k-dot) VF-2 live-finder which rotates up 90 degrees — useful when shooting subjects from challenging angles. The external accessory port also allows for connection with the SEMA-1 external microphone adapter for enhanced audio capture. The handgrip is removable and Olympus includes a small one as standard and provides a larger one as an optional purchase for those with bigger hands. This also opens up the opportunity for independent designers to provide differently shaped and sized handgrips.

The compact mirrorless DSLR cameras have been welcomed with open arms by enthusiasts and the Olympus E-P3 is sure to figure among the very best, providing DSLR image quality and flexibility without the complexity or size. It comes in Black, Silver or White (colors are country-dependent), and is priced at about US $900 (CAD $900) with the 14-42mm kit lens.Continue Reading »

Lite. The Olympus PEN Lite, also known as the E-PL3, is one of three PEN mirrorless DSLRs that Olympus announced together in June 2011. All three have the same image sensor and basically the same features: 12.3MP resolution (on a 17.3x13mm Live MOS Image Sensor), Sensor-shift image stabilization, TruePic™ VI Image Processor, high ISO of 12,800, fast AF, Full 1080i HD video with Dolby Digital sound recording, newly designed user interfaces and a variety of Art Filters and built-in creative features. The PEN Lite (E-PL3) stands in the middle between the E-P3 and the PEN Mini (E-PM1) and differs from them mainly by having a titltable LCD screen.

The E-PL3 has the Micro Four Thirds (mFT) mount and therefore accepts all mFT lenses, as well as Four Thirds (FT) lenses, OM lenses, some Leica lenses and lenses from other brands with the appropriate adapter. A Dust Reduction System ensures any dust that may have entered the camera when changing lenses are removed from the sensor.

A direct HD Movie button gives instant access to Full HD movie 1920×1080 pixels with Dolby stereo sound. The popular in-camera Art Filters apply to both still shots and video.

Exposure flexibility is available to more advanced photographers: Program AE (P), Aperture-Priority (A), Shutter-Priority (S) and full Manual (M) mode are all accessible directly on the Mode Dial. Advanced photographers will also appreciate available manual control over aperture and shutter speed while filming. The E-PL3 does not have a built-in pop-up flash but external flash FL-LM1 is included. This flash is compact, slides into the hotshoe. The E-PL3 also accepts a range of optional external flashes, with wireless flash control using the FL-36R and FL-50R speedlights. The use of off-camera flashes [as fill-in light] and synchronization in Super FP mode at a fast 1/125-1/4000 shutter speed allow the use of a large aperture in daylight [to obtain beautiful blurred backgrounds in portraits].

The E-PL3 includes a port for the detachable high resolution (1440k-dot) VF-2 live-finder which rotates up 90 degrees — useful when shooting subjects from challenging angles. The external accessory port also allows for connection with the SEMA-1 external microphone adapter for enhanced audio capture. For those into underwater photography, the new optional PT-EP05L underwater housing is waterproof to a depth of 45 meters (147 feet).

The Olympus PEN Lite E-PL3 is principally targeted to those wanting to learn photography without the encumbrance of a traditional DSLR. However, if you compare the differences between the E-PL3 and its bigger brother E-P3, you’ll notice that the main differences are not deal-breakers. In fact, I suspect that many advanced photographers will be tempted by its more compact form and its tiltable LCD. The E-PL3 comes in Black, Red, Silver and White (colors are country-dependent), and is priced at about US $700 (CAD $700) with the 14-42mm kit lens.

The XZ-1 features a fixed lens (i.e. the lens is not interchangeable) with a maximum aperture of F1.8 at wide-angle and F2.5 at telephoto, which should help obtain defocused background. The built-in Neutral Density (ND) Filter should prove useful when you want to shoot using a slow shutter speed in the bright outdoors.

The XZ-1 has a 3.0-in. OLED display with a high 614K-dot resolution. There is no built-in viewfinder but you can attach an optional electronic viewfinder. There is a built-in pop-up flash and a hotshoe to use optional external flashes, including the Olympus FL-14, FL-300R and FL-36R.

For the experienced photographers, the XZ-1 offers PASM shooting modes. A manual control ring around the lens allows for quick changes to settings such as ISO, aperture and shutter speed, depending on the selected shooting mode.